When I first started reading COUNTRY HEAVEN by Ava Mikes I was sure it was going to be another "bad boy country heart throb" meets "shy quiet country girl" and breaks her heart. I was pleasantly surprised that I was so wrong. Rye Crenshaw is a country music bad boy but it's not always his fault! Shy country girl, Tory Simmons, is really a Ph.D student in cultural anthropology, who loves to cook, and is trying to work off a looming bankruptcy by working in a small diner called Country Heaven in Lawrence, Kansas. Their accidental meeting is hilarious.

Rye is looking for an out of the way spot to grab some food, and not be recognized. Arriving at the diner he has a confrontation with an angry skunk. The diner is ten minutes to closing, empty, but not very friendly with their nasty smelling customer. Until the waitress recognizes Rye, and convinces the cook to feed him. Sprayed with a bottle of Febreeze he takes on the reluctant cook, and agrees to pay one thousand dollars for his dinner. He enjoys every bite, including dessert.

He offers this "cranky down on her luck cook" a chance to put a huge dent in her debt by offering Tory a job as his personal chef. She'll be living and preparing meals on his tour bus. He has only one rule, no sleeping with anyone from the band. Since she's not impressed with cowboys, especially arrogant ones with a bad reputation, it doesn't take long for her to agree to the job, and the rule. You have heard before, A way to a man,s heart is through his stomach. What Rye needs is a swift kick in the butt and some real honest to goodness truth laid out. Tory gives him just that. With a no nonsense attitude and a real down home love of food.

COUNTRY HEAVEN has wonderful recipes that Tory got from her late grandmother. And her food helps Rye become calm enough to deal with problems of his hectic life. We also get to read lyrics of country songs which have made Rye the superstar that he has become. COUNTRY HEAVEN made me laugh and cry...Tory's cooking made me hungry. I could not stop flipping the pages and read it in one day. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

COUNTRY HEAVEN is the first book I've read by Ava Miles and I will definitely find her other books. I love the depth that Miles gave the characters and their verbal sparring is hysterical! The story of Tory and Rye is great and the romance is there along with a bit of mystery. Ms Miles is a talented writer and she made me feel as if I have known all the characters for a very long time. The secondary characters add layers to the story and they help move events along and give the reader an understanding of the action moving forward.